Marine Facilities Annual Operating Permit

Miami-Dade County Ordinance 89-104 and Section 24-18 of the Code of Miami-Dade County require the following types of marine facilities to obtain annual operating permits from Miami-Dade County:

All recreational boat docking facilities with 10 or more boat slips, moorings, davit spaces, and vessel tie-up spaces.
All boat storage facilities contiguous to tidal waters in Miami-Dade County with 10 or more dry storage spaces including boatyards and boat manufacturing facilities.
All commercial boat docking facilities, regardless of the number of slips. Commercial boat docking facilities are boat docking facilities which have boat slips, moorings, davit spaces or vessel tie-up spaces of which more than 50 percent are designed for or contain commercial vessels; this includes the Port of Miami, Terminal Island and shipping terminals on the Miami River.

Facilities regulated by the Marine Facilities Annual Operating Permit (MOP) program are inspected on an annual basis to ensure that they are operating in accordance with the conditions of their MOP permit and with a set of "Best Management Practices" (BMPs) developed specifically for marine facilities.

The Marine Facilities Annual Operating Permit conditions and BMPs emphasize the protection of the marine environment and address such issues as the proper handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials, solid wastes, and liquid wastes (including sewage and gray water), groundwater and surface water quality and the preservation of marine resources such as seagrasses, mangroves, and manatees.

Depending on the type of work performed at the facility, marine facilities may also be required to obtain one or more of the following permits issued by Miami-Dade County:
- An Air Facilities Operating Permit is required for facilities that perform spray painting, sand blasting and/or grinding and/or work that involves the use of refrigerants.
- A Private Sanitary Operating Permit (PSO) is required if the facility has a private sanitary sewer pump station. Marinas that include a restaurant may be required to obtain a Grease Trap Discharge Operating Permit (GDO).
- A Class I Coastal Construction Permit is also required for most types of work in, on, over or upon tidal waters and coastal wetlands in Miami-Dade County. Work requiring a Class I permit includes, but is not necessarily limited to, dredging and filling, the construction or replacement of docks and seawalls, the installation of boatlifts, davits and mooring/fender pilings, and the cutting or removal of mangrove trees.
Depending on your situation, you may need one or more of the above-mentioned permits. We encourage you to call the contact number at the bottom of this page to discuss your particular case.

The permitting process typically takes between two to four weeks depending on how complete the application is at time of submittal. In addition to the completed application and permit fee, the applicants are required to submit a copy of their Certificate of Use and Occupancy and Occupational License(s) issued by Miami-Dade County or by the municipality in which the facility is located.
The permits are valid for one year. The MOP permit cycle runs from October 1st to September 30th of the following year. Permit renewal forms are mailed to the facility operators a minimum of 60 days prior to the expiration of the permits. MOP permits are not transferable. Upon sale or legal transfer of the property and/or facility covered by the permit, the new owner or operator shall apply for a new permit within 30 days.

For more information, call the Coastal Resources Section at 305-372-6575.